"It wasn't a matter of whether we'd do it, it was a matter of time," Hoffman said. "Going into playoffs, we needed a little bit of that experience and composure at the back."

Skillful with the ball and deadly from set pieces, the Santa Paula High alumna pulled the strings in the middle of the field, scoring six goals and setting up eight goals over the first 15 games of the season.

But the Pirates have been twice as effective at the back since the change.

"Obviously Lupita's made a big difference at the back," Hoffman said. "She's got great quality. She's one of the better players we've ever had at Ventura College in her ability to read the game."

They have conceded 27 goals — the most in 12 seasons — but only three have come in the six matches since Magana made her defensive debut in a 1-0 win over cross-county rival Moorpark on Oct. 25.

"I have to read the game," Magana said. "I can see the whole field, what everyone is doing, so I have to communicate with (teammates). … I know if I take one wrong step, that can cost us the game."

No. 7-seeded Ventura (16-5-1), which beat No. 10 Citrus 3-1 Saturday in its postseason opener, visits No. 2 College of the Canyons (18-0-4) this afternoon at 2 in the Southern California regional semifinals.

The game is a rematch of a brutal 3-1 loss at Canyons on Sept. 7.

"That was our worst performance," Hoffman said. "Our kids feel happy that we're playing them again. We have a chance to put it right."

Growing up in Santa Paula, Magana, whose cousin Roque plays for the Oxnard College men's team, wasn't expected to play the game.

"Soccer is for boys," Lupita explained.

In fact, when a 10-year-old Magana began playing, her father Sergio and uncle Manuel kept her mother, Adela, in the dark.

Now the whole family rallies around her, coming to watch every game.

"From then on," Magana said, "they've been really supportive."

After starring for Santa Paula High and several club teams, including Real California and the Camarillo Eagles, Magana was heavily recruited by the three local community college programs.

"Without a doubt, one of the hardest recruits I've ever had at the school," Hoffman said. "Sometimes you have to work harder for the best kids."

"She wants to be part of the team," Hoffman said. "But when you have a player like that, you have to build the team around her."

After a myriad of defensive combinations and experimentations over the first half of the season, Magana has settled into the back, where she is flanked by marking backs Rachael Jonas and Danielle Cook.

"She settles the ball and knows how to connect with her teammates," said Jonas, the only natural defender in the group. "She has fit in from Day 1."

Ventura has built a 14-game unbeaten streak, consisting of 13 wins and a 2-2 draw at Santa Barbara, since Sept. 18.